GOT prequel ‘House of the Dragon’ to debut in August

‘House of the Dragon,’ HBO’s first spin-off series of its record-breaking juggernaut ‘Game of Thrones,’ will premiere on August 21, the network announced Wednesday. HBO also revealed a new poster for the series and additional images from the show.

Set two centuries before the events of ‘Game of Thrones,’ the ten-episode prequel series will depict how the House of Targaryen fell into a bitter and brutal civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons — presaging the beginning of the end of the ruling family of Westeros.

The series was created by author George R. R. Martin and Ryan J. Condal (‘Colony’), based on Martin’s novel ‘Fire & Blood.’

Much like the original series, ‘House of the Dragon’ boasts a sprawling cast, with a smaller core set of characters including Paddy Considine (as King Viserys I), Emmy D’Arcy (as Princess Rhaenrya, Viserys’ first child and his heir apparent), Matt Smith (as Prince Daemon, Viserys’ younger brother), Rhys Ifans (as Ser Otto Hightower, the Hand of the King), Olivia Cooke (as Lady Alicent Hightower, Otto’s daughter) and Fabien Frankel (as Ser Criston Cole, a knight with eyes for Rhaenrya).